Iberdrola obtains Brussels recognition for its green hydrogen project in Huelva

Iberdrola's green hydrogen project, with which it hopes to create in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) the "largest green hydrogen hub" in Spain, has been selected as a Major Project of European Interest within the IPCEI HyUse initiative, a mechanism approved by the European Commission in September to provide 35 projects of the member states with 5,200 million euros, the company has reported.

Specifically, in Spain this initiative is articulated through line 4 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is financed through the Next Generation EU Funds.

Thus, Iberdrola expects that during the second quarter of this year the Ministry will resolve the grants that "will allow" the launching of the projects included in the IPCEI call.

In addition, with the intention of building in Huelva the largest green hydrogen pole in Spain, Iberdrola will install in two phases a large-capacity electrolyzer 100% powered by renewable energy to produce green hydrogen.

For this, the first phase has an investment of 450 million euros and will create more than 1,000 jobs for the installation of a 200 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer with a production capacity of 23,000 tH2/year. In the second phase, a 370 MW electrolyzer will be installed with a capacity of 39,100 tH2/year and an investment of more than 500 million euros.

The electrolyzer, which will be operational in its first phase in the last four months of 2025, can be used, among others, by Fertiberia to manufacture green fertilizers at its Palos de la Frontera plant.

For Iberdrola Spain's director of green hydrogen, Ibán Molina, the company's intention is to "develop" the value chain of one hundred percent green hydrogen, without any CO2 emissions and "concentrate" in the industrial center of Huelva, the "largest center in Spain" in production, transformation and consumption of green hydrogen, to "decarbonize" industry and heavy transport.

"The project will allow the design and implementation of innovative solutions for different forms of land, rail and marine transport based on renewable hydrogen, promoting the decarbonization of heavy mobility and ports in Andalusia," added Molina.

The Cluster Puerta de Europa, promoted by Iberdrola, already has the support of more than 80 companies, in addition to the interest of the Andalusian Government and the City Councils of Huelva and Palos de la Frontera and the Port Authority of Huelva.

Thus, Iberdrola has joined the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Alliance promoted by the Andalusian Government, sharing the vision of the opportunity for the development of the hydrogen economy in Andalusia.

The company expects to reach 3,000 MW of renewable energy in Andalusia, where it is the "first promoter" of wind energy in the coming years. To this end, it will make an investment of close to 1,500 million euros and will create 5,500 jobs in the region in installation and assembly alone.